Bellingham Airport Parking Throwdown

The last time I flew through Bellingham, it was to go to Hawaii.  Well, we're going again and it's time to figure out where to leave our car.

Previously I chose U-Haul, which actually isn't primarily in the business of airport parking, but had this as its side business.  Back in 2010 it was very unprofessional.  There was no shuttle, and it was hard to get a human being to answer the phone.  But it was cheap and you could walk there from the airport.  When we arrived very early on a red-eye, the facility was closed and we had to send the drive to walk the one mile.

This time I chose U-Haul again.  You get some man on his cell phone, and he asks you to text message him with your flight information, which he confirms by texting you.  So how did it work for us?

I texted him again to add a second car for parking, which he confirmed.  We arrived 30 minutes earlier than expected, and he wasn't there.  After waiting for him to show up at the confirmed time, we found out that he somehow forgot the second parking spot, but luckily there was exactly one left, so we were okay.  It was about a 20-30 minute walk from the airport, which my husband opted to do instead of getting a ride in either direction.

Here are the parking options I found, in order of proximity to the airport:

Port of Bellingham, right at the airport:  Main lot $10/day, overflow $9/day.  This will drop down to $8/day in the overflow lots, starting March 1, 2013.

Easy Airport Parking, $7/day, includes shuttle. 0.9 miles.  3360 Airport Drive.

U-Haul is $30/week or $5/day.  This includes a ride to the airport, either by a van or by taxi, which they will pay for.  6 am - 10 pm.  1.0 mile.  3340 Airport Drive.  Reservations accepted.

Bellingham Parking >=2 weeks, $5/day.  1.2 miles.  3703 Bennett Drive.  Free shuttle 9-5, pay $7 outside these hours.

Wiki Wiki:  $8/day, includes shuttle, drink.  Reservations accepted.  Special rates for 30 days.  Secure, gated. 1.4 miles.  4770 Pacific Highway.

Designated Park & Ride, $5/day.  You pay for your own taxi.  Requires 24 hours' notice, $5 deposit. 2.1 miles.  4226 Pacific Highway.

Enjoy your trip! 

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